


The Flight of Bird's Wings

by Ruunkur



Category: Digimon Adventure, Digimon Adventure Zero Two | Digimon Adventure 02
Genre: Second person POV, Vague as vague can be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-05-28 23:01:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 10,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15059720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruunkur/pseuds/Ruunkur
Summary: Thrown into chaos by the digimon and human world merging, twelve chosen struggle to find the paths they were meant to take.





	1. Ken

**Author's Note:**

> Vague, I know. It was a lot of fun to write though! It may even be continued, who knows.
> 
> Note: None of the following short segments will be edited beyond checking for spelling.
> 
> A series of one shots, focusing on the twelve main characters of season one and two, following a world that is terrified by digimon. They find that even their digimon have a life limit. Some get lucky, others do not.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You were called to the hospital, and you feel as if the world is hanging by a thread

"Ichijouji Ken?"

You lift your head when you hear your name called, stepping towards the reception desk. It was early in the morning, too early to be up, but you had come at the request of someone that you hadn't spoken to in years. You nod, resting a hand on the desk.

"Good evening," you offer the tired nurse, the woman meeting your gaze.

"They're in room two eleven, second floor. You're clear to see him now." The receptionist met your gaze, even as you hesitated.

"May you tell me why I'm here?" You ask. There had been no answers when you left your home, only a pleading call from someone you hadn't spoken to in years. You brush your hair behidn your ear, the woman shaking her head.

"You're cleared to go up," she said again, giving you the saddest gaze. You meet her eyes, turning and walking towards the back. You had returned home late from work, looking forward to settling into the silence of your apartment and going to bed. When you had received the call at midnight, you had agreed to come. Since then, you had paced in the small waiting room until now, nearly three in the morning, and you were cleared to go back.

You think over what might have happened as you stop outside room two eleven, running a hand through your hair nervously. You were still dressed in slacks and a button down. You hadn't thought to change before coming to the hospital. You raised a hand to knock, the door swinging open as Motomiya Daisuke moved to step out, looking surprised to see you.

"Hello,"

The greeting hangs between you like a rock. You lick your lips, lowering your hand. It catches you off guard when Daisuke sweeps you into a tight hug, the man hiding his face as he mumbles something you can't understand into your shoulder.

"Thank you," he breathes when he finally steps back. He meets your gaze and you offer him a nod.

"You're welcome,"

The last time you had seen Daisuke, there had been the fight. It had been years ago, nearly nine if you recall. You don't even remember what the fight had been about.

It's another several minutes before you talk again,

"Why am I here?"

You feel Daisuke tense, taking a step back and releasing you. He steps back, wiping a hand over his eyes. "Right, I..." he gestures into the room and your eyes settle on the man in the bed, your heart clenching at the sight of Takeru laying there, unmoving.

You take a step forward, body moving automatically before you find yourself next to his bedside. The blond looks older than you remember him, worry lines in his face. You reach over, touching his cheek in worry. "What happened?"

"He was attacked on his way home,"

You jerk your head up at the comment, turning on your heel. "Patamon?" You inquire, remembering Takeru's partner in great detail. The guilt of your younger years stung you. Now you could remember what the fight was about. The three of you had been living together, dating. It had been fine, until Patamon began acting strange and Takeru had tried to hide it. Neither you nor Daisuke had reported it, until a small unit of elite collection crew had shown up to destroy the rampant digimon. It had been your fault, for Patamon's death non-permanent then. You hadn't realized that your job would have them watching you so closely.

"He's devolved and unconscious as well." Daisuke says and you spot the Tokomon tucked under Takeru's arm, laying on his chest.

You're silent before you look up at Daisuke, a haunted look in your eyes. "They're hunting us."

Daisuke frowns at you, and you shake your head slowly, pressing a finger to your lips as you step backwards, stumbling in your exhaustion. You feel Daisuke's steady hands on your shoulders, forcing you to sit down in a chair. "Where's Wormmon?"

"At home, it hasn't been safe." You say, threading your fingers through your hair and gripping at the strands.

"What's going on?" Daisuke asks and you drag your gaze up to the man. You feel small, exhausted as you were, standing next to him. When you sweep the room again, you see that V-mon is watching from under a chair, hiding.

"There have been other....attacks." Your hesitant as you speak, picking your words with care. "The unit hasn't been able to make connections, beyond each person being attacked has-"

"A digital partner," V-mon cut in, bounding over to Daisuke's side and looking up at you. You nod, letting out a low sigh.

"Who else has been attacked?" Daisuke asks, arms crossed over his chest. "Why haven't we been warned about this? Where is our media coverage?"

"Hida Iori and Inoue Miyako," you reply, seeing Daisuke wince. Your gaze slide to Takeru, swallowing before you continued, "they were attacked, similar to a mugging. Those that attacked them did not have partners. It's likely that they are part of the splinter faction of the protesters."

"Yagami," Daisuke says darkly and you flinch under the glare.

The splinter faction was run by Yagami Taichi, a young man who had lost his partner early on. You could only blame yourself for that one. That was when the world learned that once a partner died, truly died, they would not come back. Arms are around you again, Daisuke burying his head in your shoulder and crying. You reach a hand up, patting his shoulder.

"Shush now," you murmur, voice gentle. "I'm here now,"

You almost choke on the words as you speak them, feeling the lump in your throat grow larger. You feel the tears come to your own eyes as you listen to the heart beat on the monitor. You feel the wet spot spread on your shirt, freezing when you heard something clatter in the bed. Daisuke doesn't move, but you turn your head, meeting the gaze of Tokomon. The digimon almost gives you a hesitant nod before you glance up, meeting the blue eyes of Takeru.

He glances at you and then at Daisuke, a grimace crossing his face before he nods, closing his eyes again.

"I'm sorry Daisuke," you murmur as you disentangle yourself from him. "I-"

"Come back,"

Both of you are startled by Takeru's words, though the blond looks like he is still asleep. You open your mouth, the protest coming to your lips before Daisuke nods at you.

"Please?" He asks.

"I..." You blink, wiping a hand under your eyes to catch the tears.

"We're stronger together," Daisuke murmurs and you nod finally, bowing your head. You would stand by your partners, even in the face of a world that looked down upon digimon. You get up from your chair, walking to Takeru's side and touching his hand, hesitance evident in every movement.

"It wasn't your fault," Takeru's words are muffled and you meet his gaze, nodding, accepting the words.


	2. Hikari

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your name is Yagami Hikari. You feel like your drowning. But there is always going to be your digimon partner at your side and your girlfriend by your side.
> 
> Note: Not edited

Most days, it felt like you were drowning. In the shadow of your brother, in the shadow of your role, in the shadow of anything and everything that could be cast about. In the shadows, you felt like you were losing more and more of yourself, being dragged down as you were.

Not that your brother was around anymore, consumed by his own grief. He was someone that you let down.

Never were you certain of who you were, let alone of why you were there. It was a question of when, it was a question of why. But it never made sense.

You walked the edge of darkness, and tipped yourself over it, more times than you could count. You felt like you were suffocating, even while you were walking through the air.

It had started when you were eight, when you first found out what you were. A child of light, a child of good. It never made sense to you, as you grew older, how a child of light could drown in the darkness. It felt like you were on edge, it felt like there was glass lining every path you took. Nothing was balanced, nothing was right.

When you reached out, it still felt like drowning. Everything you did mocked you. You couldn't understand it. And, when it happened, you were shattered. The day you were walking home from school, feeling like you were carrying a back of rocks, you wanted to scream. You stopped then, standing in the sidewalk while people continued around you. Your friends, oblivious to you as they were, continued forward, laughing and talking among themselves.

You broke away, dropping your bag and running down the path towards the beach, towards the ocean. The darkness welled up and you let it all out, screaming into the waves. You were angry, terrified, hurt. Your brother-when you were eight-one tried to explain it to you.

You were special, you were light incarnate, and you had tried so hard to understand what that would mean. You had tried so hard to be the light that so many thought you were. Your fingerless gloves hid the scars, hid the cuts that were fresh. You were broken, far from the child of light that people had thought you were.

You were meant to make people happy, not worry. And when you feel the hand on your shoulder, you try to lash out. Your hands are caught and you meet Miyako's gaze, the woman frowning.

"Are you okay?"

"No," you shake your head, your gaze shifting out to look at the ocean. It had meant to be a good day, but instead, you were here. To the side, you could hear Tailmon and Hawkmon talkign amongst themselves, the two digimon never far from you, or if they were, it was never long that they were far from you.

It was dangerous to be seen without a digimon, even more so to be seen with a digimon. In a world where groups distrusted others with digimon, and others looked down upon those without digimon, compromise was hard to come by.

"Taichi?"

The word hangs heavy between you. You look up, meeting Miyako's gaze.

"I am supposed to be the child of light." You say, feeling the words well up inside of you. "How is it that I wasn't there for Taichi when-"

Miyako cuts you off, bringing you into a tight embrace and murmuring a soft word in your ear, comforting you to the best of her ability.

You let her before you pull yourself away from her. "He hurt Takeru."

The words cause Miyako to freeze, the woman meeting your gaze in terror.

"They went after him, yesterday. He's in the hospital now. Daisuke wouldn't-he couldn't... He was going to call Ken."

Miyako nods as you speak, your gaze over her shoulder and staring into the waves. Tailmon and Hawkmon quickly join the pair of you, Tailmon threading her way through your legs.

"It's not safe here," the digimon says, her voice soft but still heard even above the crashing of the waves.

Miyako leaned down, picking up Hawkmon and the four of you hurry away from the beach. Every few steps, you cast your gaze behind you, shuddering as you realize that your best friend since you were eight may have been killed by your brother. The idea brings you up short and you stare into the distance, Miyako looking behind her and at you.

"There's going to be more attacks," you whisper.

"You think he's going after us?" Miyako inquires.

"If he went after Takeru, it's possible that he will go after the rest of us. He's... He hates what we stand for, ever since he lost Agumon." You find yourself clutching at the empty air, Tailmon jumping up in your arms and letting you hug her. You thread your fingers through her fur, closing your eyes.

"It's been long enough. Why is he attacking now?" Miyako asks. You meet her gaze, seeing the bruises that still lingered after her own run in with the attack. That was when you all decided you wouldn't go anywhere without your partners. You step forward, taking her hand in your own.

"I don't know," you mumble, the paralyzing fear taking hold of you.

"We can get through this." Tailmon promises, speaking up from your arms. You nod at the digimon, gaze darting to Hawkmon.

Miyako followed your gaze, looking at her partner with a frown. "We will be safe, as long as we have our partners with us."

"It doesn't mean that others won't join him. Others have joined him." You protest. "And now-"

"They joined him because he's offering them something that they think they need. They're fearful as well, because they don't have their own digimon partners. They fear us."

"But he did-" You cut Miyako off and she cuts you off right back.

"He lost Agumon in a terrible accident. That's not something anyone should have to deal with. None of this is your fault." Miyako murmurs.

"He was only there because of me. He was trying to save me, but I got-" you're crying and you feel Miyako throw her arms around you, taking you tightly in her grip. You take a shuddering breath, closing your eyes and trying to decide what it was you were meant to do.

"Yes, but how he responded is not your fault at all." Miyako soothes, and you both are startled when a stick hits the ground. You quickly take a step back, looking up to see the looks of the three people before you, each of them wearing the colors of red and blue that signified their unity with Yagami Taichi, in the name of riding the human world of any digital problem they could. You tighten your grip on Tailmon. Even when you were younger, you didn't fear the digital world. You think you fear humans much more than you could fear digimon.


	3. Daisuke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You dislike hospitals, you hate seeing your loved ones hurt. And more than anything, you hate feeling useless.

You run a hand through your hair as you listen to the monitor count out beats. It was three days since you had received the call that Takeru had ended up in the hospital. Your gaze darts to Tokomon, the small digimon resting on top of the man's head.

Next to you, Ken was curled in his chair, dozing though you knew he would wake at the slightest of sounds. You stood, V-mon moving to stand next to you.

"Where are we going?"

You glance down as you walk out of the room, shaking your head. "I want answers." You say quietly.

"He's going to be upset that we're gone when he wakes up." V-mon points out and you grimace. It had been a rough two days, watching Ken and Takeru talk about what had happened. Neither of you had blamed Ken for what had happened. The glitching with Patamon couldn't have been predicted. And none of you knew just how closely you had been watched.

"I know,"

You swallow back the small inkling of fear that creeps up, bending down and scooping V-mon into your arms. "Then why leave?"

"I'm only going for a short walk."

It was that promise that made you move forward again, V-mon comfortable in your arms. You headed down to the cafe of the hospital, keeping your gaze down. All around, you could see humans and their partners discussing everything and anything with each other. They stopped when you passed and you understood. You and Takeru had a target on your backs. Yagami had marked you, made it so that others would back away. You sweep your gaze up, meeting anyone who dared stare at you. It wouldn't matter, not yet.

"Daisuke?"

You glance down when V-mon pulls on your shirt, pointing in a direction. You glance up, meeting the gaze of Ishida Yamato. The man stood, arms crossed over his chest before he jerked his head, pointing towards the outside. You hesitate, glancing down at your partner before you follow him outside. You didn't know much about Takeru's brother, only that he stilled talked to him on occassion. Now though....

"What do you want?"

The words were out of your mouth before you could think, Ishida raising an eyebrow at you before he gave you an answer.

"I want to know how my brother is," he says, a Gabumon appearing at his side. The digimon looked battle hardened and you recognize that this was indeed Takeru's brother and not some mere imitation.

You hesitate before shrugging. "He'll survive,"

"That's not-" Ishida snorted. "You think I came all this way just to here he'd survive?"

"Yagami did it to him." You retort, before you could take the words back. "Part of his gang did it."

Ishida nodded, as if he expected that this would be the answer. "And is Ichijouji around?"

You frown. "What does he have to do with any of this?"

"Sources say he showed up two days ago and hasn't left yet." Ishida responded, his partner looking up at him.

You offer him a shrug. "Sure he's here. He's-"

"Just make sure that Takeru doesn't get hurt again." Ishida warned. "Or you may have more than just Yagami breathing down your neck."

"And what are you going to do?" You demand, V-mon jumping out of your arms and standing in front of you, willing to protect you if it came to a fight.

Ishida shrugged. "I suppose I have to deal with something I should have dealt with years ago, huh?" He asked. "Don't suppose you heard from Hikari recently?"

You frown, shaking your head. "Nope, can't say I've had the pleasure."

"If you see here, let her know that I'm looking for her." Ishida suggested, turning and walking away. You watch as Gabumon evolves, Ishida pulling himself up onto Garurumon's back seamlessly. You let out a low whistle, V-mon tugging on the front of your shirt.

"Should we go after them?" He asks.

"No, let's get back to Ken and Takeru." You murmur, all thoughts of getting food gone for the time being as you consider Ishida's words and question as to why he would be looking for Yagami Hikari of all people. It seemed like a shorter walk up to Takeru's room, the gazes of staff no longer seemed to be drawn to you. You realize, settling back into your chair across from Takeru's bed.

You almost jump guiltily when you meet his gaze, Tokomon blinking at you and smiling with all of his teeth.

"Good," he murmurs, settling back into bed and closing his eyes.

"I saw your brother,"

You feel the tension rise in the room, Takeru opening his eyes and frowning. There hadn't been word of Ishida Yamato since Yagami Taichi had gone on the run nearly ten years ago. Many thought they vanished together, though no one could say for sure. He frowned, tipping his head to the side.

"What did he want?"

"To make sure you were okay." You say, not wanting to say that he had threatened you if he wasn't. You see Takeru's gaze flick from you to the sleeping Ken, the blond nodding once before shutting his eyes again.

"He'll come around in his own time," he mumbles, more to himself than you. You tip your head back, unwilling to fall asleep with the other two sleeping so soundly. One of you would always be awake, and you know that Wormmon was still at Ken's apartment, though the man had assured you that he had sent a message to his partner to let him know he was safe. None of you had slept well in years, and you weren't about to pick up the habit now, with Takeru in a hospital bed and Yagami still on the prowl.


	4. Iori

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've always managed to keep a level head. But seeing those eyes staring at you makes you feel an inkling of fear that you have not felt since you first traveled in the digital world.

You glance up as you hear someone knock on your office door, frowning and standing when you see Ken. The young man looks tired, more tired than any twenty eight year old deserved to be. You usher him in, shutting the door behind him.

"What can I do for you?"

Ken blinked, meeting your gaze. "I need to know more about the group that attacked you."

You hesitate, shaking your head before sighing. "I was jumped, there's not much I can tell you."

"They went after Takeru."

You frown, watching the stiffness in Ken's shoulders and spine as he spoke. You recall when you faced him across the field in the guise of the kaiser. The memory brought a sigh to your lips. You sit down in the chair, Armadimon lifting his head from where he had been dozing.

"It was Yagami's group," You see Ken tense under your words, the man nodding. "How is Wormmon?" You notice the lack of partner, when none of you are far from your partners at all these days. You think it's strange that he would be willing to go so far away from when, as the kaiser, Wormmon was never far at all.

"He's at home. It's easier to be without him, for the time being."

"You're being targeted,"

You read between the lines as Ken fidgets in front of you, the man nodding slowly. He takes a breath, pressing a hand on your desk to steady himself before he begins talking,

"Four days after Takeru was attacked, they came after Daisuke. It was three days after Miyako was sent after that they went after Takeru. Yagami knows us. He knows who we are. We spoke, though it was brief, after your own attack. You and Armadimon were able to scare them off. Miyako was lucky that Hikari was with her. They learned and targeted Takeru while he was alone."

"And how is he?"

You watch as Ken unfolds, relaxing as he stepped further into the room, double checking to see that the door was closed. "He was released from the hospital yesterday."

"And you?"

Ken hesitates at your question, raising a shoulder in response. "I have yet to be attacked, but I fear that it is coming."

"And you want me to give you information that could....send you towards the people that hurt us?" You sit back in your chair, Armadimon blinking almost lazily between you and Ken.

"I want to know what I need to be prepared for."

You shake your head, considering your options. "If they were to go after you, they would do it after going after Daisuke. Miyako is closest to Hikari, I'm closest to Miyako. From there, Takeru, then Daisuke, then..."

"Me," Ken breathed.

"And you mentioned that they already went after Daisuke. How is Daisuke?"

"He's in one piece," Ken's voice is like ice and you have to wonder if he still wears the kaiser's guise when he needs to be strong in the face of darkness.

You lean back in your chair, studying Ken. You and he had not often talked. There were one too many bad feelings lingering. You let out a low sigh, pushing yourself up and walking towards a locked cabinet. The key was produced from your pocket, Armadimon frowning and following you.

"If I give you this information, do you promise to not do anything stupid with it?" You inquire.

"It depends on your definition of stupid." Ken remarks and you smile.

"Ah, there is the Daisuke variety and there is the Takeru variety. Which would you consider this?" You tip your head back, hands already reaching for the file you want. Everything that you had collected on Yagami in the past ten years. "Is it safe to say that you have returned to the fold Ken?"

You see Ken freeze out of the corner of your eye before he nods, "yes, I suppose it is."

"Welcome back," you turn to face him fully, offering the folder in front of him before pulling it back. "If I find that you have surpassed Daisuke's level of stupidity, I will have to wash my hands of you completely."

"I only want to speak with them." Ken murmurs.

"Why not ask Hikari?"

"She won't speak of the original eight, beyond herself and Takeru. It's as if every other mention of their existence has been wiped from history." He is fidgeting once more, and you sigh, allowing him to take the folder from you.

"There is a reason for that," you warn. "You may not like what you find."

"And what will I find?"

You pause as Ken is hesitating at your door, waiting for an answer.

"Yagami Taichi has become vengeance reborn. He has left none of his old friends unharmed. What has been done to them should not be spoken of outside these doors. What you find in those files may haunt you, for the rest of your life. But if you want to go after Yagami yourself, then so be it. Who am I to stop you?"

Ken laughs, soft as it echoes through your room. "They stopped going after him,"

"Five years ago, but we still collected the information."

"Thank you,"

You only give him a nod as he walks out of your office, sitting back in your chair and looking down at Armadimon. In those last two words, you heard all of the coldness of the kaiser that you and your friends had fought so hard to get rid of. You suppose, with a small grin, that it didn't really matter.

If it were the Kaiser's guise that were to meet Yagami, then perhaps he had a chance to take the man down.


	5. Miyako

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the quiet nights, you can't help but let fears overrun you.

You sit by her bedside, watching her toss and turn. It was late at night, nearly a week after Takeru had been attacked. When Daisuke had told you that it was by the same person who had attacked you, you only shrugged. It made sense, after all, that he would go after the younger chosen.

What didn't make sense was why he would do it like this. You lean forward, elbows resting on your knees as you tried to consider the options before you. It was nearly one in the morning, but you were unable to sleep. Hawkmon was sleeping soundly, as were Tailmon and Hikari.

But you were tossing about in a sea of your own self doubt. You sit back in the chair, tipping your head and staring at the ceiling. It was quiet and soon, you stand, unable to sit still any longer. You head into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and nearly tripping over Tailmon, the digimon blinking up at you.

"Hey Tailmon," you say, setting the glass on the table. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"Thank you but no," the digimon said with a shake of her head. "What is your intentions?"

"My intentions?" You frown at the question, looking at Tailmon curiously. "What sort of intentions might I have?"

The digimon paused, considering the words before shrugging. "Are you going to go after Taichi?"

You grimace, the conversation with Iori quickly coming to your mind. "No, I don't believe so but..." She met Tailmon's gaze, the digimon patient as she waited for the answer. "We're certain that Taichi may be going after Hikari. If it comes to that, I will fight for her. But, as has been decided, I will not just go after her."

"He's attacked the others," Tailmon guessed.

"Yes," you sigh. "Iori and I were attacked prior to Takeru being attacked. He was the only one of us to wind up in the hospital."

"Type advantage,"

"Huh?"

You're caught off guard by Tailmon's statement, the digimon shrugging.

"You're trying to protect Hikari from everything that is happening. Have you considered that she may not want protection?"

"It's her brother!" You protest, Tailmon nodding in agreement.

"Yes, I suppose that is true. But, if it were one of your siblings, would you have rather be kept in the dark, or told that something was happening?"

You consider the words of the digimon, meeting her gaze sheepishly.

"Have we been being selfish, trying to keep everything from her?" You ask.

The digimon laughs, leveling a gaze at you. "Do you really think that you can keep from here that it is her own brother doing this?"

You shake your head, feeling a blush of shame cross your features. "Of course not," you breathe.

"Then understand that she will continue to hide for your sake. She is aware of what her brother is doing. Please, do not continue to stress over this. If you think going after him will be the best option, then feel free. But do not think that Hikari is not capable of handling herself when it comes to these things."

You nod as you listen to the digimon, watching her. "She seems so fragile..."

"She is far from fragile." Tailmon promises, meeting your gaze with her own of determination. "The fact that you believe Hikari to be fragile shows that you have been holding back on her. She knows what her brother is capable of and worries for her friends. I would not count her out, if it were to come to a fight."

"Of course," you say with a nod, picking up your glass once more. You drink the water, Tailmon disappearing into the backroom before you could ask her anymore questions, the thoughts weighing heavily on your mind. You set the glass down once more, finally tempted to join your lover in bed.


	6. Takeru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wonder what would have happened, if the past didn't happen. Would you still be where you were today?

You stare at the rain coming down in sheets, sitting at your desk. You and Daisuke had returned to your small apartment, with the additional body of Ken. When you had woken up to see him in the hospital, you had been angry at first, followed by confusion, then relief at seeing him.

The last time you had seen him, you had gotten off on bad terms. There had been an incident. It had been almost useless in covering it up, but you had seen what people did to digimon that went rogue. The image of Greymon being taken down still left an acid feeling in your throat.

You thought Taichi would come around. However, that had been the last night you had seen him. You had been certain that Agumon would come back. You and Hikari had traveled to the Village of New Beginnings, only to be told by Elecmon that there was almost a zero chance of Agumon being reborn. It seemed as if digimon destroyed when they were infected, as the government had been calling it, had no chance of being reborn. Their data was corrupt, though the explanation sat uneasy in your stomach.

Then, only two weeks later, Ken had been followed home by a coworker and Patamon had lost it, resulting in him being deleted as well. The fear that you lost your partner forever had rested heavily on you until Elecmon contacted you to let you know he had your egg.

Why your egg, why couldn't Taichi have gotten his partner back too? It seemed unfair, though you suppose that meant that Patamon had never been corrupted in the first place. An innocent diigmon had been taken down and there was nothing you nor Daisuke could do about it.

You hunch over your desk, feeling the familiar weight of Patamon next to you, the digimon laying on your arm as he tried to see what you were writing, the cursor on the blank screen staring back at you.

"They're going to be upset if you keep hunching over like this." The digimon murmurs, breaking you out of your thoughts. You glance down before sitting up, rolling back your shoulders and letting out a small sigh.

"It's my own terrible posture, not their's." You say, though you know that the digimon means well. Having Ken back in the apartment felt like a new life spreading.

"I'm worried about you becoming hunch backed." Patamon replies and you smile at the digimon.

"Well, I can't promise for sure what will happen, but humans get old eventually."

"Do you think digimon get old?" Patamon asks.

You consider the question before shrugging. "There are mature digimon, and digimon that have been around for ages. Why do you think digimon can't get old?"

"Well, you never see any old Patamons hanging around." The digimon responds and you smile at him.

"They are, they've just evolved into the next form, haven't they?" You ask, raising an eyebrow and looking down at your partner. You had missed him the week it took for his egg to hatch. You had never been more relieved to see him as you were that day. The only thing missing had been Ken, but you were too proud to go to him and Daisuke was more than willing to stay by your side.

"Are you still upset?" Patamon asks.

"About what?" You ask.

"I told Daisuke to call Ken." The digimon admits and you frown, shaking your head.

"No, I'm not upset at all. I was, for a moment, then I realized that I had missed Ken a lot. I'm glad that he's back with us. Mistakes happen, you know?" You watch as Patamon nods in agreement, your gaze flicking to your email as a new notification popped up. You selected it, frowning.

**To: Takaishi Takeru**   
**From: Unknown sender**   
**Subject: Patamon**

_Don't think this is over yet Takaishi. More will be coming, this is never the end._

"More what will be coming?" You breathe, already forwarding the email to Iori, attaching a note that you believed it was from Yagami's faction.

"Humans are afraid of digimon." Patamon murmurs and you nod.

"I would be too, if I didn't have a partner. Half of the population don't have partners. Those that do could easily overthrow whatever government that they have. It would be madness, but I would be afraid as well." You scan your emails, looking for anything important. You see several 'get well soon!' from your coworkers down at the journal, but elect to ignore them, shutting the laptop.

You enjoy the sound of the rain beating on the windows, but deep down, you fear that in the rain, more destruction was waiting to come.


	7. Jou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've been silent since it happened, now the words come rushing out the day after a mass attack against digimon and their partners. And you don't know how to feel.

You set the object to the side, resting your hand on the metal table. You saw the hall swim before your eyes, your body swaying before someone caught you, taking you towards a seat.

"Kido, if you can't be on your feet, you shouldn't be here!"

You blink when you look up at the doctor that spoke, tipping your head back and letting out a low smile. "I had the funniest dream a moment ago."

"How long have you been on shift?"

You consider it, frowning. At the end of your shift, there had been an attack. It was the largest attack that the faction had done in recent years, sending you both digimon and human casualties. You can't remember how many had died while you were working.

"Twenty seven hours," your response elects a whistle from the doctor in front of you.

"You should get some rest. You're no help when you're like this." The man responds and you frown.

"Not while Yagami is out there." You're stubborn on this matter, the image of a laughing kid coming to mind as you speak. "I'm sorry, I just-"

"You're too exhausted to be of any use." The man responded. "Go home, or take a long nap in the break room, off the clock. You keep moving like this and people will start to wonder if you don't feel responsible for the attack."

You flinch under the words, heaving a sigh as the man, Koto, hesitated.

"Is there anything I can do for you Kido? Do you feel like you're responsible if you don't stay and clean up some deranged guy's mess?" You feel Koto's gaze on you, lifting your eyes to meet his. He was a drinking buddy of yours, his digimon a MarinAngemon always polite when speaking with you.

"Have a moment to talk?" You ask, standing up from your seat and finding that you do feel more exhausted then you had in years. You hadn't felt this tired since the last big attack, ten years prior.

"I can take a break," he says with a nod, calling down the hall and taking you into a break room that no one else was in. You sit on a chair, a cup of something warm being passed to you. You sniff it, reassured to find that it was not coffee.

"You asked me once, about having a digimon partner." You murmur into the drink, taking a sip and lowering it. You see MarinAngemon glance from you to Koto, letting out a worried hum and you offer them both a smile.

"Yeah, you got defensive and said you didn't need one." Koto responds.

"His name was Gomamon, we were partners since I was...oh, twelve? I met him in ninety nine. Summer camp to be exact. Myself and six other kids were swept into the digital world." You nod as Koto's eyes go wide. "Yeah, I knew Yagami Taichi. I was his friend actually. We were...I wouldn't call us close, but we were friends." You run a hand over your face, feeling Koto's hand on your shoulder.

"You don't have to talk about it." He began.

"No, I think it is something that should be known..." You take a breath and smile at Koto. "The best thing, at the time, was we were the first people to have digimon. It was frightening, ya know? But it was the best feeling in the world. I was scared, at first. Of everything, but mostly of losing the friends I had made. I was always a...cautious child. Never liked the idea of the digital world. But..." You begin to tell him your version of the story, knowing how well Takeru had mapped it out in his books. The books that many thought were fiction, but were based in truth. The books that Taichi later learned to hate, because they painted him as someone who would do the right thing.

You feel a feeling of relief settle over you as you talk, Koto going past his break to listen. You are no writer, not like Takeru, and you can't embellish the story as you had seen Daisuke doing, but you were always good at keeping to the story. Here was no different. And you told it as simple as you could, as close to the truth as you could. It felt right, to let this man know.

And if he knew your own hand in the destruction of your digimon, then so be it. The guilt that Gomamon was no longer around still hung heavy around your neck. While you didn't agree with Taichi, you wonder if you could have stopped him, in the end. Could have stopped all of your digimon, you six that fought so hard in the beginning, from being destroyed. Hikari was able to hide, Takeru had the hope of a child and his digimon came back.

But as for the rest of you, you were lost. Your partners-most of your partners you silently corrected yourself-having been destroyed for good.

And, truthfully, you only had yourself to blame, didn't you?


	8. Mimi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You are someone the public knows, but the scars you hold tell their own stories.

You sit at your dressing station, hands followed on the table. In the reflection of the mirror, you see the door open, a young woman sticking her head in.

"There's someone here to see you?" She says and you frown.

"What's his name?" You inquire, turning to look over at her.

"Izumi Koushiro," she replies. "He runs the technology-"

"Send him in," you say. You got up from your seat, turning to sit on one of the chairs. You fold your hands in your lap, looking at the scars that trail down from your elbows to your finger tips. You grimace, glancing up as you hear a knock on the door. "Come in,"

"Mimi,"

The man standing before you looks hagard, dark circles under his eyes.

"Come, sit down." You suggest, gesturing towards the chair next to you. "Would you like anything to drink, perhaps eat? I can send an order out and have it here within five minutes."

"No thank you, I'm not here for a pleasure visit." Koushiro says, bowing his head. "I..."

"Please," you say, holding up your hand. You get up, calling out an order for drinks and refreshments to be sent before you sat back down in the chair. "Five minutes," you insist. "How have you been?"

"It's terrible," Koushiro says, running a hand through his hair. You see the traces of lightening scars that branch over his arms and you shudder, your fingers tracing the vince that curl upwards on your own. "Yourself?"

"I'm doing alright, making a living on everything I can possibly do and putting a bulk of it into savings." You explain, closing your eyes. It's a moment before they bring the food in. They set it up, offering you a murmur of something before they disappeared.

You settle in, taking a tea cup and resting your sharp gaze on Koushiro. "What happened?"

"He's ramping up the attacks," Koushiro says and you freeze.

"The others?" You ask, carefully putting your cup down as your hands shook.

"He went after Takeru, landed him in the hospital." Koushiro says softly. "The attack-Jou's been working over time but-"

"Of course," you say with a sharp nod of your head. "That's not good at all, but I suppose... What can I do?" You ask, sitting straighter.

"He wants to go after Taichi." Koushiro's words are like small knives to your heart and you swallow.

"He's...are we thinking of the same he?" You ask, hesitant and excited but terrified as Koushiro nods.

"Yamato," he breathes. The only one of you that had walked out of the place with your digimon.

"He's alive?" You ask, raising your eyes.

"Yes," Koushiro nods and you feel yourself almost fall to pieces at the thought of Yamato being out there. Your gaze darts to your dressing room behind you, the clothes scattered like a hurricane had come through.

"What do we need to do?" You ask, picking up your cup once more and taking a sip once you are certain that your hands are steady enough to hold it. Koushiro considers the question, tipping his head back in thought.

"He wants to know when the next Yagami Rally will be. I can hack into the systems, but you must..." He pauses, glancing at you.

"Next week Friday," you say. You had been invited, not by Taichi-he would never invite any of you-but by one of the other models because you didn't have a digimon. You press a hand to your chest, imagining that the crest still hung there from your younger years.

If only the others knew who you were, though you would never tell them. You tip your head back, letting out a low breath. "I can get us several invitations."

"Five?" Koushiro asks. "If not eleven...the others deserve to be there."

You nod, grimacing. "It'll be hard, but I can do it. Thank you for letting me know. Now, pastery?" You offer Koushiro a piece of the refreshments, the man slumping his shoulder and letting you give him the treats, your talks turning elsewhere for the time being, though the subject weighed heavily on both of you.


	9. Koushiro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You carry your scars and your guilt, in the same place, around your arms and constricting your heart.

You sit before your computer, a mass email sitting before you. The invitations that Mimi had secured laying next to your forearm. You grimace, tugging down the sleeves to hide the scars left behind from electricity. When you hear a knock, you get up, opening the door to beckon the young man in.

"Good evening Iori," you murmur, Iori's gaze swinging around your office, checking for something. "My electrical fields disrupt anything if they were trying to bug my office." You explain.

Iori nods, moving to sit in a chair, Armadimon trailing in behind him and sitting next to him. "This Saturday is the biggest rally that Yagami planned."

"Yes, Mimi got us invites. One of her colleagues offered them to her. Ten in total." You tap the envelope next to you. "We're to meet at the gates. You'll want to bring Upamon."

"Aye, I can do that." Armadimon looks up from his spot next to Iori, yawning.

"How dangerous is it?" Iori inquires.

"We're going after Yagami, it's as dangerous as it can be. We'll want the jogress partners at a ready, if things are to go south." You explain, feeling your arms tingle. You reach up, running a hand through your hair and sighing as it stood on end. Iori raises and eyebrow as you pull your arm away.

"Koushiro?" A young woman pokes her head into the room, looking embarrassed when she sees Iori sitting in front of his desk. "Your two o'clock is here..."

"Tell him I'm running late. I'll meet him in the downstairs meeting room. Please, give him my apologizes and tell him that something came up." You glance at the time. The man was late anyway, it wouldn't matter if he waited for several more minutes. The woman nods, taking your message and shutting the door.

"Apologizes, this is supposed to be a no digimon zone, isn't it?" Iori inquires, reaching down to touch his partner's head.

"I don't mind if you have Armadimon with you." You reply with a shrug. "The world grows more and more dangerous by the day. It is better if we have our partners close at hand, than to be found wanting when one gets attacked by themselves."

"That would be the reason to bring them to the rally," Iori picks your words out carefully and you smile at him.

"Of course, I would never send any of you into there unarmed." You explain.

"Then, you'll have to pardon if my questions seem harsh, but you and the others don't have partners but plan on attending." Iori speaks even as you roll up your sleeves, flexing your fingers and letting out a sigh.

"We found out the hard way what happens when you touch a digimon's data as they are being reformed to their eggs. Much like how the digimon can absorb others' data and make it part of themselves, we can do the same. We become a bit more data in the process. Myself and the other leaders of the resistance made this mistake. We were young, sixteen maybe seventeen at the time. Yamato had the grace to be completely knocked out. Didn't have the chance to absorb Gabumon's data." Iori sucks in a breath as he sees your scars and you smile, focusing at the palm of your hand.

There was a spark of light, electricity flashing and burning the air around you. Your hair is sticking up on end, but in your palm is a Tentomon made of electricity.

"Absorbing your partner's data..." Iori breathes.

"We didn't tell anyone, you have to understand. We're the poor kids whose partners never came back. Of course it would cause Taichi to go completely insane. We all went insane, the moment it happened. But he..." you tip your head back, closing your eyes. "He never did go back to being right, I suppose you could say. I don't think any of us blame him."

Iori swallows as you leave him with this information. Of the younger kids, you four had only ever told Takeru and Hikari. You let the image of Tentomon fade, closing your fist and rolling your sleeve down.

"This is a word of caution, never touch a digimon's data." You say, Iori's gaze flicking to you.

"Even if it's not your partner's?" He whispers.

"Never," you confirm, watching the boy nod. You open the envelope, passing him several of the invitations. "I look forward to seeing you again Iori."

"Thank you Koushiro," he stands and bows, leaving you alone in your office, the heavy guilt of what you had confided in him hanging in the air around you.


	10. Sora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find yourself poised, unable to move, until you take a step forward and let yourself fly.

You fold your hands in your lap, watching the woman model the newest fashion design. Glancing at your phone, you see the time click one moment closer to six, your heart seeming to beat faster with each thought of the approaching meeting. You clear your throat, watching the woman still.

"You're doing a wonderful job Yuuko," You say, watching her smile at you. You shift, glancing at the book on your right. "I have to cut short for a meeting at seven, I hope you don't mind me ending our session here?"

"Of course not miss Sora," the woman says with a bow, a smile on her face. "Thank you for taking the time to do this with me. I was...nervous." She admits, her fingers fluttering over the fabric of her sleeve.

"I understand," you say with a nod, standing as well and stepping towards her. She seems on the verge of saying something else, and you arch an eyebrow. "Is something the matter?"

"I was...it's just," she pauses, her gaze sliding across the room. "You don't have a digimon partner, d you?" She asks, keeping her voice low. It was rude, to directly ask someone, but you feel a laugh form on your lips at the question.

"No, I lost my partner quite a few years ago." You say and watch her freeze. "What's on your mind Yuuko?"

"There's a rally tonight and I-" she blushes, realizing what she had revealed. "I was..."

"Ah, you never received a partner, did you?" You ask, keeping your voice gentle.

"It's true," Yuuko agreed and you smile at her, feeling the scars of flame dance along your arms. Your sleeves cover it, though your hands looked burnt. You see her gaze flash to your hands and you move your sleeve up, showing her the marks burn marks.

"I received these from a digimon, around ten years ago when I was sixteen. Same day I lost my own partner. Digimon are very dangerous creatures Yuuko," you soothe the woman, walking forward. You could see her flinch as you rest a hand on the crook of her elbow. "I have an invite to the rally myself. I was planning on going. Will you be attending?"

"Yes!" Yuuko squeaked, her gaze darting to you. "It's..." You see her gaze dart back down to your arms, the scars that Piyomon left behind. You move your sleeve back down, seeing her relax once the sight was gone.

"It's something else, that's for sure." You say with a smile. "Do you know the Yagami platform well?"

"There are times where I wish I understood it better." Yuuko admits and you nod in agreement, wondering what was going on in her head. "But I agree that digimon should be wiped out completely!"

"Oh?" you tilt your head, blinking at Yuuko. "What does that have to do with this?"

"Yagami speaks of a way to take the digimon's power. He was going to explain it tonight. If we could even have a fraction of an inch to fight back-" You were already moving, phone in hand. You would take yourself to the meeting place faster, but with Yuuko so close, you would not dare reveal that to her. You glance over your shoulder, seeing a concerned look on her face.

"My husband," you say as you hold the phone to your ear, praying that Koushiro would answer, "has to make dinner tonight and I want to make sure he doesn't burn the house down."

"Burn the...Sora?" You turn your attention back to the phone, nodding at Yuuko.

"Please, wait for me outside, I just want to change." You say, gesturing towards your office. The woman nods, confusion on her face before you step inside, shutting the door. "Burn the house down, you're a terrible cook Koushiro." You say, hearing the woman's footsteps pass your door.

"What happened?" Koushiro asks and you frown.

"The rally tonight, Yagami...showing people how to take a digimon's power..." You close your eyes, keeping your voice low. You didn't expect Yuuko to be listening, but you could never be sure of who to trust.

"I will alert the others." Koushiro promises and you hang up your phone, changing into something so Yuuko wouldn't be suspicious. You step into the hall, freezing when you feel something sharp poke into the side of your neck.

"You're one of them," Yuuko's voice is calm and you slide your gaze towards her, sighing.

"I really enjoyed working with you." You murmur, raising a hand and gripping Yuuko's wrist. "You don't want to do this, trust me. It's not going to be pretty, for either of us."

"I don't think I'll have an issue." Yuuko says and you tighten your grip, feeling the heat of a fire build in your hands.

"It's a dangerous game you're playing Yuuko," you tilt your head, catching sight of her gaze before summoning the green fire, watching as Yuuko screamed, pulling away from Sora. She flapped her arm, shrugging out of the top of the dress as she stared at it. "Trust me, Yagami has nothing that you want."

She swallows, her mouth open before she runs away, screaming. You sigh, pocketing your phone and walking to your car. It would be a long night you feel.


	11. Yamato

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You felt like you've been on the ledge of a cliff for the past ten years. Now you will see if you can fly.

You press your hand into Garurumon's fur, listening to the people mill about below you. The night was cloudy, the moon hidden. When you turned, you could feel a heavy gaze on you. Down below, you could see the others mingle, their digimon hidden in purses and bags.

"Will we be going soon?" Garurumon asks and you nod.

"We have to wait for the signal." You say, tilting your head back to look at the sky. You were wearing a hood, though it had fallen back at some point. "Do you see Takeru?"

"Yes, he's down there with Ken. The pair are doing well, blending in nicely." Garurumon twists his head, nodding. "Miyako and Hikari are here," he points with his muzzle as he speaks, "and Daisuke and Iori are there. Sora is by herself, while Koushiro is mingling with the partnerless digimon. I do not see Mimi or Jou."

"They promised to be here, I am sure they're just running late." You get up from where you had sat, tugging your hood back on. Garurumon shifts, resting his muzzle against your shoulder.

"Do you regret it?" He murmurs.

"Being knocked unconscious in the middle of a life altering fight?" You ask, gaze flicking to him.

"Having to leave Taichi behind." The digimon replies and you let out a sigh.

"I do, but then I remember what he has become and I can't help but think that it was a good thing. I miss him though." You sigh, closing your eyes. "Maybe if I had been there, it would have been easier."

"Over the years, you had your chances to absorb my data. Why did you never do it?" Garurumon asks. The question weighs heavy in the air and you breathe out a low sigh.

"I... I would lose you, and I wouldn't want to go through what the others did. It...sucks, that it happened but-" You jerk your head towards the center of the clearing, watching as the smoke bellowed from the ground. You're pulling yourself up on Garurumon's back even as you speak. "You're my partner, I would never willingly let you be destroyed. The others were an accident. It cannot happen again."

"And you think he would be willing to tell these people that?" Garurumon tensed, watching as the smoke cleared. You lean forward, seeing the spikey haired man standing front and center, a skull on his head.

"I don't know what he's willing to do." You sigh, watching as Mimi and Jou appear at the edges of the crowd. Takeru and Daisuke are near the very middle, the others scattered along the way. You see Koushiro move closer, something in his hands sparking.

"Move in closer?" The question catches you off guard and you look down at your partner before glancing to the middle to see the man standing there fidget.

"Thank you for coming tonight!"

The voice feels like a knife to your heart when you hear him speak. You had tried to reason with him, before you had left. But nothing had made sense and when you left, you felt that it would have been better to not go back at all, for fear that they would hate you.

Koushiro was the one that found you. Even then, you kept your contact with them to a minimum, having appeared once more in Odiaba when your brother had been attacked. You tighten your grip on Garurumon's fur, listening to the people talk around and below.

"We have a special feature for you tonight! And I want to thank the idiots that thought they could crash!"

You tilt your head as you see Taichi look up, seeing his gaze rest on Takeru and Ken. You roll your shoulders back, seeing the others moving quickly through the crowd, throwing off their jackets to free their movements.

"Go," you urge Garurumon, meeting Taichi's gaze and seeing him frown as V-mon, Wormmon, Tailmon, Patamon, Armadimon, and Hawkmon all evolved, clearing spaces around their partners. You feel Garurumon land in a cleared space, swinging his head and snarling at the ones that got too close.

You stand up on Garurumon's back, meeting Taichi's gaze as he finally looks at you.

"Yamato," he whispers, eyes wide. "You're alive."


	12. Taichi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have been falling for years.

You hear a scream that causes you to look away from the battle that you had been fixated on, your heart thumping. It was hard to see, in the dust that was kicked up from the digimon fighting against each other. You could see Sora and Mimi, glowers on their faces. Jou was standing near them, hesitant and unsure, while you faced against them alone.

You swallowed, your gaze flicking up to WarGreymon as he faced off against his _prior_ friends' digimon, looking weary as the others began to approach once more.

"Why are you doing this?" Sora screams and you look at her, tilting your head to the side and stare.

You're sixteen and you had been caught on the wrong side of a war, though no one could really say what the wrong side was. It had become muddled, especially upon the disappearance of Yamato. Your heart skips a beat as Koushiro screams again, indecision making you hesitate.

"WarGreymon!" You shout, the name seeming to sound more like a cry for help than just a shout of a name. You see the digimon hesitate, flickering towards you before he blocks a blow from Rosemon, the digimon seeming to fall form the air after taking a brunt of the attack.

"Taichi!"

You wince as Koushiro calls out, and you find him, standing to the side, his own digimon fading in and out of reality. His voice is strained and you wonder how you could even hear him over the sounds of the attacks flashing above you.

"Is this really what you want?" Koushiro whispers, voice soft and you edge closer to him, grunting when you feel the weight of Jou smack into your side and bring you down to the ground. You grit your teeth, aiming up and jabbing your elbow into his stomach, your teeth coming forward and breaking his skin.

You were lost, you were lost the day that Yamato was lost, and you have never felt more at peace than you did right that moment as you shove Jou off of you.

"Her-" Koushiro's cry is cut out as you watch HerakleKabuterimon's data shimmer, Koushiro reaching up and touching it. You see it disappear in a flash, disappear into him and Jou is racing towards him, tripping over his feet. You don't even remember what the fight was about, not anymore. You don't-

"Taichi!"

The voice snaps you out of it and you see Sora kneeling next to a fading Hououmon, Mimi looking at you with a tear strained face as she tried to clutch Rosemon to her chest. You turn on your heel, darting across the field. In your mind's eye, you could see the laughing face of Yamato-

Pain blossoms through you as you see Vikemon, the last standing digimon, strike WarGreymon. Your partner levels a look at the large digimon, one last attack escaping him before both he and Vikemon fall apart. Across the field, you can hear your... Were they your enemies? Were they your friends? It was too hard to keep straight anymore. You're kneeling, pressing a hand to WarGreymon, trying to offer him comfort. You stare as his data joins the air. And you're reaching up, touching it and-

You're flying, fighting, struggling to understand the darkness fighting in you. Trying to understand the voices. You're far away from where you've been and you're not anywhere you know. You finally drop, panting and bleeding, near a house. You see the fear in the woman's eyes when you meet her gaze and you try to tell her that you're okay-

It took nearly three years to regain all your full mobility after the accident, you're twenty and angry. After returning to the village only to find that you were denied, told you didn't have a partner, you had cast yourself to the ground and the woman had found you. Yuuko had been kind and taken you in, didn't press and had seem elated when she heard you didn't have a digimon partner. She never asked why and you never told-

You started the movement against the others. You could still see Yamato's face when you lay in your bedroom in Yuuko's house. You shudder, breathing harsh, but you maintained your composure. You had learned to control your powers and-

You start the organization of people against digimon. If any of the others were still alive, they would oppose you. When, after nearly ten years of silence from them, you start attacking those that you could track. You avoided your sister, attacked her friends and made private but public the meeting and the reason behind it but now-

"You're alive,"

The words come out of you like a fist to the chest, as you stare down the walkway to see Yamato astride Garurumon. You grin, tilting your head. If this was the fight that you would end in, that would be good.

"No, I am surely dead." Yamato responds and you feel as if your world had crumbled once more. The man before you flickered, and when you reach out, you feel strange. Garurumon is standing right before you, the other digimon partners revealing themselves and forcing the humans to back away.

Even the four that you betrayed and whose partners you killed, you see them preforming enough-what they would consider anyway-magic to get the people back. You open your mouth, Yamato raising a hand, a grimace on his face.

"Then did you come back to haunt me?" You ask, cocking an eyebrow at him. You see him hesitate before he nodded.

"I've been given a task to right the wrong in the world. And for surely there is a wrong here," Yamato says and you remember those words, from a life time ago, when you were both fourteen and joking around. You had found the book that had it, and Yamato said he would commit those words to memory, until they were needed.

"Than truly, I am the ember in the forest." You hold a hand to Yamato, seeing the striped scars-how many people asked if you attempted suicide or did self harm over the years because of them?-in the faint light. "Digimon are a dangerous thing Yamato."

"What drove you insane, Taichi?" Yamato breathed, taking your hand and you feel your body shudder. You can distantly hear screams, hear people shouting and fighting. When you open your eyes, you're there again, watching Yamato be struck down, MetalGarurumon disappearing and you, alone.

"You," your voice is honest as you look at him, eyes wide. "You drove me insane and left me alone."

"I don't think it was me." Yamato responds, leaning in close to you and you could see that his eyes were paler than before, a hazy film of white where the brilliant blue used to be. "I think you wanted to be insane, Taichi."

"I love you," you whisper, feeling the fire of WarGreymon burn your flesh. You knew, in the end, that the power would do this. Unlike the others, it was too much. You could never learn to control it, and now it was consuming you.

"Digimon are dangerous things," Yamato breathed and you meet his gaze and you're falling-

Falling, forever, into the misty blind gaze of the man you once called lover.


End file.
